Gov. Doug Ducey's current, hurried water policy process bears little resemblance to the proven formula for development of sound, nonpartisan water law in Arizona. Much of the focus of these invitation-only gatherings appears intent on merely criticizing (and silencing) CAP, not on resolving honest differences of opinion and developing a consensus solution to the critical issues facing us today.

In the 24-month report released by the United States Bureau of Reclamation in 2016, the bureau predicted a more than 50 percent chance of a water shortage in 2018. This August, the Bureau of Reclamation report reduced that projection to zero.

With Republican Gov. Doug Ducey convening water giants into meetings this summer, it’s become all the more apparent that major water players in Arizona, namely the state’s water department and its canal system, the Central Arizona Project, are at odds.

The Central Arizona Project tried to strike a deal to sell water to California for $18 million during the 2015 drought, which the state claims underscores the need for reforms to the water delivery system’s operations.

Former Attorney General Terry Goddard accused attorneys for Arizona’s water department of ethical lapses and of blindsiding the Central Arizona Project over their filing of a legal brief in an employment lawsuit involving the water district.